I lurrrve roguelikes and this DOES look cool. Especially as it looks like we’re never going to get our tiles for DoomRL :(
I’ve only had time to play for a few minutes so far. Quick initial impressions:
-I like the humor and the art style.
-The freeform character generation system seems like it should allow for some interesting combinations, and I look forward to testing it out.
-UI nitpicks: The “last skill choices” and “random skill choices” buttons appear in the rows of skills and aren’t obviously differentiated from the skills themselves. Also, when playing at a high resolution, there’s a central area with all of the choices, then a lot of empty space between that and the “next” button in the upper-right. It seems more intuitive to me to work your way down the page making choices and then have the next button at the bottom.
Woo! Thanks much for the invite! Got it all downloaded but I’m gonna wander off and scrounge up some supper before settling in to try it out. I’ll post some impressions once I do.
Got a “test drive” video coming soon…probably this weekend. I’ve played about a dozen games with various skill combinations and have died as quickly as 2-3 minutes in while other combos I’ve survived for 30 minutes or more. It’s tough and unforgiving and dying is a way of life but you’ll learn quickly from your mistakes.
Oh, and the loot! Magic goodies everywhere! And the crafting! You find resources and ingredients and have these little “trade kits” with which you can make all manner of items… Crap, now I want to play! :) Video soon…
Wow, I have just been tasked with recovering the Phantasmagoric Canadian. I can’t say as I’ve ever been given a quest like that before. ;)
Really digging what I’m seeing so far, and just like others have said, the humor factor is great and actually gets me to read all the descriptions!
[edit]Yes, the Canadian is mine! mwahahaha![/edit]
Getting my arse kicked repeatedly but having fun while doing so. Doesn’t seem to lack for depth, which for me makes up a lot for getting slaughtered before the 3rd character level every time (let alone actually descending a dungeon floor).
The GUI is light years ahead of most of the rogue like competition but on the other hand I miss my keyboard commands. I hate having to click and drag to place something in my inventory. Don’t see a keyboard shortcut though, G seems to be a debug key for randomly changing the tile layout.
Not sure what most of the icons mean - at least the ones over by Burliness, Sagacity, etc have tool tips but you can’t get a tooltip on a tooltip. The ones that show up from wielding a weapon by Melee & Ranged attack also don’t have tooltips either.
Here’s what David told me about the main stats:
Burliness: hitpoints and melee power.
Sagacity: mana and magic power. (It’s like burliness of the mind!)
Nimbleness: dodge %, trap dodge %, counter %
Cadishness: crit hit %
Stubbornness:resist (magic) %, block %
Savvy: haywire (magic crit) %
I’m not exactly sure if these are set in stone. Some of the stats they affect might change before the actual release.
Gendal if you need any help with the secondary stats just ask away. I’ve figured out what most of them do.
I forgot to mention before that there are 16 different damage types and 16 resistances to that damage.
Here is a little snip from my preview about the damages and stats:
Now comes the part I loved: the stats. Those lovely complex stats. First your six main ones: burliness, sagacity, nimbleness, caddishness, savvy and stubbornness. These stats affect your secondary skills as well as affecting how many hit points and mana you have. Next come the eighteen secondary stats like melee power, block chance, armor absorption, enemy dodge reduction, visual sight radius, haywire chance (critical hit with magic), smithing level and so on.
In addition to the stats there are sixteen different damage types and sixteen different resistances for those damage types. David Baumgart, the Principal Artist from Gaslamp Games says, “There are the three mundane types of damage like crushing, slashing and blast damage which can be blocked by your armor. Everything else can be blocked by resistance to the specific damage type (mundane damage types can be resisted as well). Each damage type has an effect associated with the damage. Crushing often has a stun or knockback, slashing and piercing may have bleeding damage or other wound effect, conflagratory (fire) will have a burn effect, voltaic (electricity) will often stun and so on.
After I get to 50 posts I’ll post some screenshots and links to some youtube videos . If you guys are interested in seeing the game in action then just head on over to youtube and search for Dugeons of Dredmor Beta Testing Day 1.
Thanks Mr. Skaven, right now I know what the 6 primary stat icons are, and I know what the 18 icons right next to it do because they have tool tips. So if one of these shows up on a piece of equipment’s tool tip then I can check to see what it means (though until I memorize them it’s a giant pain in the arse because of how small and obtuse they are). But what about those that don’t show up there?
I am guessing those are the “sixteen different damage types and sixteen different resistances for those damage types” that you mentioned, I just have no idea where I can look to see what they are. Figuring out what piece of equipment is better for me is all too much of a chore - either I can’t look up the icon to see what it is, or I can but it’s driving me cross eyed trying to match up the microscopic icons.
Did I mention they are small?
Other than that interface issue the game is lots of fun. I think I have a character build that’s working well for me, I actually cleared D1 and moved on to D2 before biting it this time. Crafted some stuff, leveled up four or five times… good stuff.
Oh god damn it. Typed up a big post, accidentally tapped back, lost entire post. BLINDED BY RAGE. Here’s a quicker dirtier version of it then.
Quick negatives:
As mentioned, a lot of the stat icons aren’t very legible. The ones related to actual stats have tooltips so you can figure them out, but I had a few that were related to damage and resistances that I never did. Had a pink Celtic circle looking thing in damage, no clue what it meant.
Tons of loot management. Though a lot of the loot is useful, you definitely do more inventory management (At least this early on) than in most roguelikes. I suspect this becomes less of an issue as you get more skilled and get a better idea of what’s worth taking and what isn’t.
The crafting recipes don’t give a tooltip on the item you’re trying to craft, so unfortunately I don’t know how much better that iron axe will be than my current weapon. Given that this is the sort of thing I (And I assume others) would look up in a wiki, not much reason not listing it in-game that I can see.
Few enemy types. This could VERY likely be because I haven’t made it off dungeon level 1 yet, but there isn’t a ton of monster variety this early at least.
Quick positives:
The animated doomguy face! Has basically no impact on the game, but god damn do I enjoy him glancing around and getting bloodied as I take damage.
The humor and music were both entertaining. Heroic vandalism!
The classless skill system is pretty great. Mixing and matching should provide some good meat to the game, and choosing where to spend your skillpoints as you level up is suitably rough.
The combat seems pretty well balanced, especially for dungeon level 1. Enemies are weak enough that you usually should win, but dangerous enough that if you fuck up you’ll end up dead.
The crafting system seems pretty nice. Collecting materials and being able to make your own loot is neat. Though finding some iron isn’t as exciting as finding a magic sword, deciding what to use that iron on makes for an interesting choice.
Overall got a pretty positive impression from first my two characters. One almost, ALMOST getting through dungeon level 1 before killing a boss for a sidequest, which apparently turned into 3 diggles which did 20+ damage in one turn of combat before I could react. God DAMN. At least my 6660 score comforts me.
Also hope that “distributor that we’ve heard of” is Steam, and if so, hopefully you guys can do a friends list score leaderboard. Score stomping your buddies sounds pretty great for this game.
I have died quickly in my first 6 or 7 times through getting to level 3 or 4 a couple times, but love it. I love that the goodies are littered everywhere AND the fact that they are not all immediately useful. You get the “look what I found” coupled with the “Hrmmm, I wonder what this’ll do later on”. I love the crafting thus far. Again, there are useful things that you just have to take a wait and see attitude on. I love the fact that new recipes are spread about and you learn things from bookcases. I like the way the skill progression is set up and spelled out, but I am not overwhelmed with 1,000 choices. I pick my 7 skills and then make choices from that combination.
There are just a lot of little choices that were made that add bit by bit to depth of the gameplay.
Couple early nitpicks (I am clueless as to how much trouble this stuff would or would not be to alter and some might just be me):
[ol]
[li]The cost for the food on the for sale screen (EDIT: for the food dispensing machines) blends in too much with the goods.[/li][li]I would like to be able to move the other boxes around outside of just the Inventory box.[/li][li]Need to be able to use the scroll wheel on the various skill menus. (EDIT: removed “recipe” as you can scroll there.)[/li][li]Is there a shortcut to skip more than one turn? I know the space bar skips one, but you have to make individual presses to do multiple turns rather than holding it down. Ya know, when you have 1 health left because of surprisingly dangerous bird creatures.[/li][/ol]
I will say ditto to all the good stuff above. Had to go out for a silly 15th wedding anniversary dinner, but am now back to delve some more.
Steam? Never heard of it.
After alot of very quick 4 minute games I’m going good for over an hour but…
I need to deliver an item to a monolith, use it on it. I can’t seem to. I put it in my belt and I can’t use it, I can’t drop it on the monolith. How am I supposed to use it? It’s a quest.
Loving the game to death, but a couple niggles.
-Esc should exit menus, and then when they’re all closed bring up the menu bar. It would shorten alot of time there for me
-Right click to pick up an item, automatically stack it with others.
-I can store items in crafting things, I’m keeping items in my forge etc.
-A way to delete saves!
Made it to 9,584 points. Had just figured out I could actually sell stuff to the vendor and accidentally attacked him with a wand. Dammit! Don’t do that. It is even harder to swallow when you die and have to start over when you have built up your character AND have been working toward smithing goals. :)
I love the traps and the fact that through skill you can find them, disarm them for experience or pick them up to set later.
The levels seem huge. I think I levelled 4 times on Level 1 (or is it Level zero?).
I did not know how detailed you guys wanted feedback, so I thought I would give it all.
Observations/Wants/Issues:
[ol]
[li] Mouseovers everywhere there ain’t none to show what’s what (resistances/damage types). Although, with some you can figure it out, but if they are on the other stuff…[/li][li] When you mouseover food in the shops, the cost does not show up like it does on other equipment[/li][li] Sometimes when I highlight doors to open them and click, nothing happens for several tries.[/li][li] Does the character’s level show up somewhere or total experience?[/li][li] I was blocked where a fork statue, cannon and water cut me off and I could not go further in one direction. Was able to backtrack, but could not get to that cut off area.[/li][li] While the up and down staircases on the mini map are identified by color, the actual symbol is hard to make out unless you blow the map up all the way.[/li][li] Level to achieve certain crafts would be nice, but if that is omitted to keep the mystery about it, that’s cool.[/li][li] Will your appearance change when donning different clothes/equipment?[/li][/ol]
Flippy Floppies!
Definitely filled with Awesomeness.
I think it’s a valid question in a post-diablo world
Seriously, you can sell stuff to the store? How?
Also, how do you deploy traps?
Yeah the maps seem really big, got to level 5 on floor 1.
What is it you played Tyjenks? Mine is a mace using, duel wielding, berserker that can craft armor and potions. So far the potions thing seems kinda useless on him, but I kill everyone in 1 hit, 2 hits at level 2 - unless he was raging and then it was 1 hit.
Do you also get a big lag spike when you walk into the store?
No equipment does not affect appearance.
I was wondering if in the final version would it affect appearance.
If you have high enough skill, when you discover a trap you will be able to pick it up and place it in your inventory. Then just place it in the path of a bad guy and boom, he walks on it.
I think I sold stuff by just picking it up and placing it on the vendor himself. Somehow, I got that mixed up and wanded him instead of selling the wand. So be careful. I might have it wrong. I literally sold one item and then tried to sell a wand and the bad men came.
Lessee, I have mostly used a Axe weilding/Smithing/berserker/armored/shield bearer/assassin/artful dodger. I am also pretending he is a Dwarf with a thick beard. So, tanking with a bit of sneakiness and a dash of crazy thrown in. Armor and weapon making is always a must for me when crafting is available in a game since I always to warriory stuff.
I like how it shows which way you are leaning as far as the traditional warrior/mage/thief types go.
That was my initial starter character too since my fleshonecromancer was obviously beyond my starting abilities. I started swapping out the artful dodger for the viking magic ability to great effect though, the reason being a lot of the armor you are going to get is going to cancel out the dodging bonus. Plus electric strikes from your weapon is a great edge to have in the beginning.
I finally figured out I could sell stuff too, though of course I initially zapped Mr. Checkerboard also, with predictably disastrous results. To sell just drag and drop items on to the sales associate.
Game has been really stable and bug free after hours of play.
I am bad about picking a combo and then bashing my head against the wall and changing nothing. :) Change Aversity I think I am calling it.
And yeah, I have had no crashes or hangs or anything.
Oh and Moberis, I think the lag going in the store coincides with the music change as I believe the store has its own theme music.
Another thing…about arming your spell/ability right button slot. If it is an ability or spell, you left-click it in your spell/ability bar (bottom right) to arm it. If it is an item in your equipment/inventory bar (bottom left) you right click to arm it. That is a tad confusing.
BTW, I have most certainly finish with a couple of goose egg scores. Plenty of stupid deaths as well. :) My 5 year old warned me not to drink that 3rd bowl. After two negative ones, no way could the third be poison…
Pics, guys! dbaum up there said you were free to post.
Under $10 this sounds like a slam dunk to me :D
Now I just have to figure out where the screenshots go and how to take them. ;)
Dear universe,
Let me buy this right NOW.
Sincerely yours,
- Oyvind